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Paul Pillar: Book still represents long form of knowledge
1402/02/21-10:30
Professor Paul Pillar, Associate Fellow within the Global Fellowship Initiative of the GCSP says although in an age of mass electronic media, the book does not occupy as large a place as it once did as a cultural commodity, the book still represents what might be called the long form of knowledge.
According to the news headquarters of the 34th Tehran International Book Fair, a meaning of cultural diplomacy has been introduced as bargaining to reach goals that unite human societies. Achieving these goals is based on common cultural factors between societies. As a rule, countries with a richer culture will have the ability to absorb more. “Book” is an important factor and medium in the dialogue between cultures, and the publishing industry of any country with a long and rich cultural history is a place for these dialogues.
Tehran International Book Fair, which we are on the verge of its 34th period, can be considered an important factor in cultural diplomacy because it is the result of Iran's rich publishing industry. For this reason, the news staff of this period of the exhibition decided to ask about the Tehran International Book Fair in a conversation with some of the world's great intellectuals and scholars, and it can be said that the goodness of these conversations is the introduction of this fair to these thinkers.
In this respect, Paul R. Pillar, Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Studies of Georgetown University says “Although in an age of mass electronic media, the book does not occupy as large a place as it once did as a cultural commodity, the book still represents what might be called the long form of knowledge.”
Following is the full text of the interview:
Q: Are you familiar with Tehran Book Fair? If your answer is yes, how did you get to know it? If you are not familiar with it, how can Tehran Book Fair be included in the cultural calendar of the world?
A: I'm sorry, I am not familiar with that book fair. As for becoming part of a larger cultural calendar, I would think this would mostly be a matter of word-of-mouth among intellectuals who are interested in the subjects of books included at the fair.
Q: In general, what is the position of the book as a cultural commodity in cultural diplomacy?
A: Although in an age of mass electronic media, the book does not occupy as large a place as it once did as a cultural commodity, the book still represents what might be called the long form of knowledge. Books are the one art form that can provide a thorough treatment of a subject.
Q: Every year, cultural events in Iran begin with the Tehran Book Fair, and many people participate in it, and the entire cultural and artistic currents in Iran are somehow related to this exhibition. To what extent can such an exhibition represent the contemporary culture of Iran by reflecting in the media?
A: Much depends on specific issues or treatments of those issues that happen to catch the attention of the media.
Q: If we assume that you are planning to visit the Tehran Book Fair this year, what is the first reason for this visit? Do the mere name of Iran and its civilizational and cultural background attract you to attend the exhibition, or is it the temptation to familiarize yourself with the books produced in Iran's publishing industry?
A: I do not have plans to visit the Tehran Book Fair, but if I did, my reasons probably would be a combination of being exposed to the general Iranian cultural background and a more specific interest in the products of the participating publishers.
Q: If you want to prepare a book about the contemporary situation of Iran in the fields of culture, politics, and religion, in which countries would you rely more on the published research and prepare it?
A: This would mainly be a function of my own limited language ability. I naturally would rely mainly on material produced in English-speaking countries.
The 34th Tehran International Book Fair with the slogan “the future is to be read” started on the 10th of May and will continue until the 20th of May 2023 in the Mosque of Imam Khomeini and simultaneously on ketab.ir.
